Biochip device

Abstract

A biochip device includes a waveguide, chromophore elements, a diffusing structure, and a sloping surface. The chromophore elements are disposed on a portion of the waveguide and are configured to emit fluorescence in response to excitation by guided light waves transmitted by the waveguide. The diffusing structure is configured to generate guided light waves in the waveguide when illuminated. The sloping surface is sloped relative to a plane of the waveguide and is configured to direct excitation light into the waveguide, and the sloping surface and the waveguide are configured to deflect the excitation light to the diffusing structure to generate guided light waves within the waveguide. The sloping surface may be a face of a prism attached to or integrated with the waveguide, or the sloping surface may be a bevel formed at an edge of the waveguide.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A biochip device comprising:
 a waveguide; 
 chromophore elements disposed on a portion of the waveguide, wherein the chromophore elements are configured to emit fluorescence in response to excitation by guided light waves transmitted by the waveguide; 
 a diffusing structure disposed within the waveguide or on the waveguide and configured to generate guided light waves in the waveguide when illuminated; and 
 a sloping surface of a sloping structure or a sloped end of the waveguide, wherein the sloping surface is sloped relative to a plane of the waveguide and is configured to direct excitation light impinging on the sloping surface into the waveguide and toward the diffusing structure to generate guided light waves within the waveguide, and wherein the diffusing structure is located on a first face of the waveguide and the sloping structures is located on a face of the waveguide other than the first face or the sloped end includes a face of the waveguide other than the first face. 
 
     
     
       2. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the biochip device comprises the sloping structure, the sloping structure is a prism supported on the waveguide, and the sloping surface comprises a face of the prism. 
     
     
       3. The biochip device of  claim 2 , further comprising an index-matching layer disposed between the prism and a surface of the waveguide. 
     
     
       4. The biochip device of  claim 2 , wherein the prism is integrated with the waveguide. 
     
     
       5. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the biochip device comprises the sloped end of the waveguide and the sloping surface of the sloped end of the waveguide is a bevel formed at an edge of the waveguide. 
     
     
       6. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the excitation light is parallel to the plane of the waveguide. 
     
     
       7. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the excitation light is perpendicular to the plane of the waveguide or is at an angle from the plane of the waveguide inclined relative to perpendicular to the waveguide. 
     
     
       8. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusing structure comprises structure having a disordered spatial distribution of refractive index. 
     
     
       9. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusing structure comprises one of:
 frosting with a grain size of 0.1 μm to 50 μm; 
 non-uniform metal or dielectric particles, 
 colloidal particles positioned in the top layer, 
 micro-cavities formed within the top layer, and 
 a layer of polytetrafluoroethylene on the top layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusing structure comprises diffusing particles in a matrix of a resin. 
     
     
       11. The biochip of  claim 10 , wherein the matrix is an acrylic resin, a glycerophthalic resin, or a fluoropolymer matrix. 
     
     
       12. The biochip device of  claim 10 , wherein the matrix has a refractive index that is less than the refractive index of the diffusing particles. 
     
     
       13. The biochip device of  claim 10 , wherein the diffusing particles comprise one of TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , and BaSO 4 . 
     
     
       14. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusing structure comprises micro-cavities having dimensions of 0.1 μm to 40 μm. 
     
     
       15. The biochip device of  claim 1 , wherein the first face of the waveguide is a face of a top layer and the diffusing structure comprises a layer of fluorophore material that responds to light excitation by generating fluorescent light that propagates in the top layer in the form of waves having an evanescent portion. 
     
     
       16. The biochip device of  claim 15 , wherein the fluorophore material comprises quantum dots, organic fluorophores, or fluorophores based on one of rare earth ions and luminescent ions. 
     
     
       17. The biochip device of  claim 1 , further comprising an optofluidic portion supported on a surface of the waveguide and comprising a hybridizing chamber containing a hybridizing solution and pads supported on the surface of the waveguide and situated within the hybridizing chamber, wherein the chromophore elements are deposited on the pads.